There is proposed a semi-transmissive reflective liquid crystal display apparatus as a liquid crystal display apparatus of VA mode, in addition to a transmissive liquid crystal display apparatus and a reflective liquid crystal display apparatus (see JP 11-242226 A and JP 2001-209065 A, for example). The semi-transmissive reflective liquid crystal display apparatus utilizes outside light in the same manner as in the reflective liquid crystal display apparatus in a bright place, and allows visualization of display with an internal light source such as backlight in a dark place. That is, the semi-transmissive reflective liquid crystal display apparatus employs a display system combining reflective mode and transmissive mode, and switches display mode to reflective mode or transmissive mode in accordance with brightness of its environment. As a result, the semi-transmissive reflective liquid crystal display apparatus can provide a clear display even in a dark environment while reducing power consumption, and thus is suitably used for a display part of a portable device.
A specific example of such a semi-transmissive reflective liquid crystal display apparatus is a liquid crystal display apparatus having a liquid crystal layer between an upper substrate and a lower substrate, and including on an inner side of the lower substrate a reflective film which has a window part for light transmission formed on a metal film of aluminum or the like and which serves as a semi-transmissive reflecting plate. In a liquid crystal display apparatus of reflective mode, outside light entering from an upper substrate side passes through a liquid crystal layer, reflects on a reflective film on an inner side of the lower substrate, passes through the liquid crystal layer again, and exits from the upper substrate side, to thereby contribute in display. Meanwhile, in a liquid crystal display apparatus of transmissive mode, light from backlight entering from the lower substrate side passes through the window part of the reflective film and through the liquid crystal layer, and exits from the upper substrate side, to thereby contribute in display. Thus, of a reflective film-formed region, a region having the window part formed becomes a transmissive display region, and the remaining region becomes a reflective display region.
However, in the above-described VA mode liquid crystal display apparatus, especially in a reflective or semi-transmissive liquid crystal display apparatus, problems of light leak in black display and reduction in contrast have not been solved for a long period of time.
Patent document 1: JP 11-242226 A
Patent document 2: JP 2001-209065 A